<h2>Name</h2>
<p>
The Surah has been so named after the very First word <em>at-tin</em>.
</p>
<h2>Period of Revelation</h2>
<p>
According to Qatadah, this Surah is Madani. Two different views have
been reported from Ibn Abbas: first that it is a Makki Surah, and
second that it is Madani. But the majority of scholars regard it as a
Makki revelation, a manifest symbol of which is the use of the words
<em>hadh-al-balad-il-amin</em> (this city of peace) for Makkah. Obviously, if
it had been revealed at Madinah, it would not be correct to use the
words "this city" for Makkah Besides, a study of the contents of the
Surah shows that it belongs to the earliest period of Makkah, for in it
there is no sign whatever to indicate that during the period of its
revelation any conflict had started between Islam and unbelief.
Moreover, it reflects the same style of the earliest revelations of
Makkah period in which briefly and succinctly the people have been
made to realize that the judgment of the Hereafter is necessary and
absolutely rational.
</p>
<h2>Theme and Subject Matter</h2>
<p>
Its theme is the rewards and punishments of the Hereafter. For this
purpose first swearing an oath by the habitats of some illustrious
Prophets, it has been stated that Allah has created man in the most
excellent of moulds. Although at other places in the Quran, this truth
has been expressed in different ways, for example, at some places it
has been said: "Allah appointed man His vicegerent on the earth and
commanded the angels to bow down to him (Al-Baqarah: 30,34, Al-Anam:
165, Al-Araf: 11, Al-Hijr 28,29, An-Naml: 62, Suad 71- 73);" at others
that: "Man has become bearer of the Divine trust, which the earth and
the heavens and the mountains did not have the power to bear (Al-Ahzab
72);" and at still others that: "We honored the children of Adam and
exalted them above many of Our other creatures (Bani Israil 70)," yet
here the statement made on oath in particular by the habitats of the
Prophets that man has been created in the finest of moulds, signifies
that mankind has been blessed with such an excellent mould and nature
that it gave birth to men capable of attaining to the highest position
of Prophethood, a higher position than which has not been attained by
any other creature of God. 
</p>
<p>
Then, it has been stated that there are two
kinds of men. those who in spite of having been created in the finest
of moulds, become inclined to evil and their moral degeneration causes
them to be reduced to the lowest of the low, and those who by adopting
the way of faith and righteousness remain secure from the degeneration
and consistent with the noble position, which is the necessary demand
of their having been created in the best of moulds. The existence
among mankind of both these kinds of men is such a factual thing which
no one can deny, for it is being observed and experienced in society
everywhere at all times. 
</p>
<p>
In conclusion, this factual reality has been
used as an argument to prove that when among the people there are
these two separate and quite distinct kinds, how can one deny the
judgment and retribution for deeds If the morally degraded are not
punished and the morally pure and exalted arc not rewarded and both
end in the dust alike, it would mean that there is no justice in the
Kingdom of God; whereas human nature and common sense demand that a
judge should do justice. How then can one conceive that Allah, Who is
the most just of all judges, would not do justice?
</p>

